The extensive Bīriņi Castle ensemble is the jewel of Limbaži County. The vibrant and scenic setting includes several carefully maintained parks and gardens and offers a variety of recreational activities.

Bīriņi Castle was built in 1860 by August von Pistohlkors (1822–1886), the grandson of the head of the Vidzeme region and well-known cartographer Ludwig Augustus Mellin (1754–1835). In 1850, he married Emilie von Harder (1829–1894), the niece of a wealthy St. Petersburg banker – his wife’s dowry was put towards improving Bīriņi.

The road leads to the castle through a scenic alley of trees and across a sluice connecting the lakes Bīriņi and Dzirnavu. Here you get a magnificent view of the Neo-Gothic castle and the surrounding greenery. Built in the 18th century, Priežkalns Park is the oldest of the castle’s parks that contains the von Mellin family vault, which was built at the beginning of the 19th century. The extensive Emīlija Park with its artificial ponds was created at the same time as the castle was built (1857–1860). The small landscape garden, which surrounds the castle stretching from the stables to the gardener’s house, was created in the late 19th century by planting oak trees, hawthorns, and non-native trees like magnolias and ginkgos. Opposite the castle is a beautiful terrace garden with an arbour on the shore of the lake. The palace stables are surrounded by ancient apple orchards, which still bear a lot of fruit each autumn. Bīriņi Castle takes pride in its stately willow tree (Salix fragilis), which has a circumference of 5.5m.

Today Bīriņi Castle is privately owned and houses a hotel, a restaurant and rooms for seminars and banquets. You can celebrate weddings and anniversaries here, or go on excursions to explore the rich history and scenic parks of the surrounding area.

Leisure activities on offer include horseback riding, bicycle tours, or boat rides and a romantic labyrinth of hiking trails that run through Emīlija Park along the Alberta Dīķi ponds, the Eņģeļkalns hill, the old von Mellin family vault, various arbours, and the lush oak tree whose branches are decorated with bells left by newlywed couples.